


Hunger

by Mirabitur



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, BAMF Darcy Lewis, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Gen, Skin Hunger, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 02:01:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20631248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirabitur/pseuds/Mirabitur
Summary: Darcy Lewis knows what's up, knows down, and knows what's kosher.And this? This wasn't kosher.





	Hunger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cygnus1123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cygnus1123/gifts).

> So. School started up again. And three weeks in I realized that I wasn't enjoying my reading as much as I normally would. And then I realized that my depression was acting up.
> 
> And I realized that I was having trouble with skin-hunger... which is why it's great to have pets. I really miss my cats just giving me all of the cuddles.
> 
> And when I did more research on how to help myself with my skin hunger and depression, I thought to myself... I bet bucky has this. And so I wrote this.

Darcy Lewis arrived at the Avengers Compound in a whirlwind of moving boxes and haphazard machinery. 

The compound was buzzing at the news. Sandra in security had heard from Aaron in the cafeteria who had heard from Devon in the medical bay that Thor had taken his lady love to Asgard and left her lab assistant, Darcy Lewis, behind. According to the grapevine, the assistant had somehow managed to offend the King of Asgard enough that he didn’t want her there. Or maybe she had uncovered a secret intra-realm smuggling ring? The stories differed.

No matter the actual story, the compound was buzzing at her arrival. They hadn’t had any new people on the grounds since the former Winter Soldier had been moved to the facility, and various workers were rushing to clear out a set of rooms for her, and a lab for all of the equipment that was coming with her. The security department was rushing to cobble together a safety briefing, and the Avengers were keeping a wary eye on Bucky Barnes, trying to gauge how well he would handle a new face.

Darcy Lewis barked out orders like a drill sergeant, this box goes there, be careful with that machine, if you so much as touch that file you will regret it. Steve Rogers could only look on, impressed at how she had single handedly commandeered what was supposed to be her welcoming committee. 

“Yes, yes,” she said, waving off the security officer that was trying to brief her. “I’ll look over the packet and come to you if I have any questions.” She took the file from the stunned man and was on her way, walking with a confidence that belied the fact that this was the first time she had been to the compound.

Steve quickly followed her and then took the lead, steering her around the halls, pointing out the important places that she would need to know like the restrooms, the labs, the cafeteria, and the saferooms for non-combatants. And finally, he led her to the common room, an area of the compound reserved for Avengers and their affiliates. 

“Now, I don’t know how much you’ve read about the Winter Soldier, but he is-” Darcy cut him off by holding one of her hands in the air. Steve stopped, not quite used to being interrupted.

“Your long lost best friend, tortured for the greater part of a century, the longest running prisoner of war?” Darcy said smartly, and Steve could only look at her, his mouth open.

“I actually did my reading, Captain. This may have been a spur of the moment thing, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have time on the flight over to see exactly what I was getting into.”

“Yes, but that’s just it,” Steve said. “You can’t possibly know what you’re getting into, so I need to brief you.” Darcy pursed her lips but allowed him to continue uncontested. “He was kept in secure facilities until we could be sure that the programming wouldn’t be triggered by regular interactions, and then he was released to the Avengers area of the compound, or in the wider facility if he had one of us as an escort.”

Darcy raised one eyebrow, and Steve had an overwhelming feeling of judgement.

“What?” He asked. She shook her head and waved at him to continue.

“Well, we will expect you to be careful around him, since we still aren’t sure of all of the triggers. Since you are not combat trained, you will need a chaperone if you are with him, and I’m afraid that only active duty Avengers qualify.”

Steve waited for a moment, but she didn’t reply, just looking at him through inscrutable eyes.

“Do you understand, Miss Lewis?” He finally asked.

“Oh, I understand perfectly well.” She replied, lips curling strangely around the words.

Steve, content with the knowledge of her compliance, resumed their path to the common area. 

“So here we have the common area, we have a selection of gaming consoles, and you are free to use the kitchen at your leisure, though some of us might be tempted by the smell of food and attempt to beg some off of you-” He turned, grinning at his joke, only to find that she wasn’t behind him. No, she was still at the entrance, and was surveying the room with narrowed eyes.

“Is everything okay?” He asked, trying to follow her gaze. He shifted a little when he realized that she was looking at Bucky, but quickly tried to assure her. “He’s quite safe to be around, especially if you don’t get too close to him.”

Darcys lips curled even more at his words, and her eyes darted around the room again. 

Bucky Barnes, sitting uncomfortably on a couch in the middle of the room with a book in his hands, though he wasn’t turning the pages and he tensed whenever someone moved behind him.

A buff man with dirty blond hair sitting on the back of an armchair, fletching some arrows. His focus was ostensibly on what he was working on, but she could see that his peripherals kept Barnes in view.

A redheaded woman, lounging on a loveseat like some kind of big cat, scrolling through her phone. Again, seemingly focused on her task, but the muscles of her calf gave away how tense she was.

A man with glasses and curly hair preparing tea in the kitchen area that opened out onto the lounge area. He, at least, seemed genuine in his nonchalance, but if he was who she thought he was, then it was very much warranted.

Her eyes turned to Barnes again. To the muscle jumping in his jaw and the way the fingers on the book twitched every time a loud sound came from the kitchen.

“No,” she finally said. “Everything is not okay.”

Everything seemed to come to a halt. While there hadn’t been much movement in the room before, she could feel the focus of four pairs of eyes on her, even if they weren’t actually looking her way. 

Darcy Lewis took ten steps forward, stopping right in front of the man of the hour. 

“Is this seat taken? No? Good.” Before he could even properly register that someone, anyone, was addressing him and wanted his input, she plopped herself down next to him on the couch. He stared at her in befuddlement.

“So, what are we reading?” She asked, leaning against him as she tried to make out the words along the top of the page. “Like water for chocolate? Oh, that’s a good one, I especially liked the recipes. Have you tried any of them? I liked the Christmas rolls, though I usually leave out the sardines.”

She kept nattering on at him, never waiting too long for an answer, content to fill the silence. Slowly, ever so slowly, he relaxed under her, relishing the physical contact. He ignored the whispered argument happening by the door, though he knew that he could easily eavesdrop if he tried. He was just so enthralled by this woman that had dared to come so close to him and was talking to him without fear.

If, years later, he had to pick out the moment where he knew Darcy Lewis was the woman for him, this would be it.

And they lived happily ever after. 

**Author's Note:**

> It's okay to be depressed. It's okay to be anxious. It's okay to feel what you feel, even if you're frustrated because you think you don't have a good reason to be.  
Sometimes that's just how it goes.
> 
> It's okay to not be okay, even if you can't explain why.


End file.
